Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley is convinced that Dane Scarlett can become a superstar, thanks to the work rate and talent that the on-loan Tottenham forward has.
Scarlett has been highly thought of at Tottenham for several years now, with Jose Mourinho tipping him to be an England star for the future (Daily Mail) while Antonio Conte described him as ‘the best prospect from the academy’ last season (Football.London).
The 18-year-old did not have the start he would have hoped for at Portsmouth as he failed to find the back of the net in his first seven appearances.
However, the floodgates seem to have opened for the teenager after he scored his first goal, with the forward having netted four times in the last three matches (Transfermarkt).
Scarlett’s best performance for Pompey came in their last match against Peterborough, with the youngster netting a brace to help the South Coast club register a 2-1 win and move level on points with Ipswich Town at the top of the League One table.
Cowley has now revealed what he thinks sets the Spurs academy graduate apart is his desire to keep improving.
The Portsmouth boss said on BBC Radio Solent (as relayed by Hampshire Live): “For us, Dane [Scarlett] can be whatever he wants to be.
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“He is a really talented boy and he has got a fantastic work ethic. I always think that the more talented you are as a player, whatever your talent is, your work ethic matches that talent. And if you do that, then you will achieve the potential that you have.
“That means Dane has to work incredibly hard, but he has a brilliant mindset and a desire to want to do that, so Dane can be whatever he wants to be and there is no ceiling on what he can achieve. It is a privilege every morning to wake up and work with him.
“I think he has got an incredible belief in his competence, he matches that with his work ethic and his attitude, so ultimately the way he works on a daily basis sets him up for success and he has that real single-mindedness that you need if you want to be a top number nine.”
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One can argue that the attitude and desire of young players is a better predictor of how far they will go, than their raw talent. Scarlett seems like he has his head screwed on, and so, the future looks extremely bright for the teenager.
Kane, for example, was nowhere near the best player in the Tottenham academy but it was his willingness to keep improving that has helped him evolve into one of the best in the world.
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